Revision [489]
This is an old revision of HeroesMmoCharacterCreation made by ConradWong on 2015-10-28 17:55:42.
Mu Factor/Character Creation
In the Mu Factor character creation system, as with most MMOs, players are presented with a handful of choices at the outset. More choices and options to customize their characters will be presented as they play.
Origin
The following origins are available:
Child of Power
The character was born in the gleaming futuristic arcology of New Olympus, either to corporate citizens or Licensed mutants. She attends one of the best prep school for mutants-- think Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. Her mentors expect great things of her, and have spoken of fast-tracking her career. But first, she must claim her License... And no amount of patronage can influence the notorious Testers.
Enclave Child
The character was born in one of the crowded enclaves or to poor citizens or 'proles' and attends a state-run school for mutants, one that was far more 'reform school' or 'school for delinquents' than 'Hogwarts'. For her, getting a License is her ticket out of the slum. But is she prepared to do whatever it takes to pass the Testers' stern criteria, or will she wind up fleeing to Zeus's Rogues?
Rogue Upbringing
The character was born in the Dregs, the decaying old city of Olympus that was once a flourishing port before the sea level rose. Her parents never submitted her for Mu gene testing; she went to school among norms, and when she triggered... There was quite a scandal. She fled rather than be taken in by the Licensed, fearing that she would be enslaved or imprisoned. Now she has managed to find fellow mutants, ones eager to share what they know and cooperate in a mutual struggle for survival... And with Zeus's help, strike a blow for mutant freedom.
Appearance
Players may choose a variety of human body shapes, skin colors, hairstyles and colors, and preferred clothes, but as mutants they are also encouraged to choose ways in which their mutation manifests, making them visibly different. Players may change these later, but the cost of doing so will be higher the more they wish to change their character appearance.
Players may appear completely human if they wish, but they can never completely eliminate visible manifestations of their mutant origins when using their powers-- at the very least their eyes or hands will glow.
To give some ideas, here are some random tables for selecting appearance:
Gender
Roll 2d6 | Result |
---|---|
2 | Ambiguous (androgynous or deliberately mysterious) |
3 | Female (butch or tomboyish) |
4 | Female (ladylike) |
5 | Female (professional) |
6 | Female (flirty) |
7 | Male (macho) |
8 | Male (professional) |
9 | Male (gentleman) |
10 | Male (scruffian) |
11 | Male (bishonen) |
12 | It's Complicated |
Skin Color
Roll 1d6 | Result |
---|---|
1 | Pale White |
2 | Healthy Pink |
3 | Asian/Indian |
4 | Burnished Bronze |
5 | Black |
6 | Other. Roll again: 1. Red, 2. Orange, 3. Green, 4. Blue, 5. Purple, 6. Roll Twice. |
Body Build
Roll 2d6 | Result |
---|---|
2 | Short and squat, midget-like |
3 | Significantly obese |
4 | Slightly obese |
5-6 | Slim and gracile, dancer-like |
7-8 | Muscled, movie star-like |
9 | Tall and thin, beanpole |
10 | Heavy-set, muscled build |
11 | Charles Atlas muscles |
12 | Brute-like physique, hulking and hunched over |
Body Form
Roll 1d6 | Result |
---|---|
1 | Practically human except for glowing eyes or hands when using powers |
2 | Normally human but transforms visibly when using powers i.e. 'Flame On!' |
3-4 | Near-human, proper clothes or simple disguise could conceal differences |
5 | Demi-human, would require poor lighting and heavy disguise |
6 | Obviously not human, practically impossible to disguise |
Hairstyle
Roll 1d6 | Result |
---|---|
1 | Military crew cut or even bald |
2 | Short pageboy or bob |
3 | Medium, swept over one eye |
4 | Medium, curls, braids, or dreadlocks |
5 | Long and straight |
6 | Masses of flowing curly or wavy hair |
Hair Color
Roll 1d6 | Result |
---|---|
1 | Black |
2 | Brown |
3 | Golden |
4 | White or silver |
5 | Auburn |
6 | Roll again. 1. Bright red, 2. Orange, 3. Green, 4. Blue, 5. Purple, 6. Roll Twice. |
Outfit
Roll 2d6 | Result |
---|---|
2-3 | Archaic costume or uniform |
4-5 | Heavy armor/combat loadout |
6-8 | Standard uniform |
9-10 | Light armor/combat loadout |
11-12 | Wildly designed personal uniform |
Note: these randomizers are designed for random NPCs encountered. Players will be much more likely to choose distinctive personal outfits but it should be possible to recognize the faction of most mutants at a glance even if one has never encountered them before.
Licensed uniforms are blue with gold trim, while Rogue uniforms are black with silver trim. Even when wearing armor, the armor will be painted with appropriate colors. P
Archetypes
Players select a major archetype which represents how they most want to play. They are not restricted to taking powers from this archetype, but these powers will be the most effective for them.
Roll 2d6 | Result |
---|---|
2 | Summoner (uses pets or conjured entities) |
3-4 | Controller (manipulates the environment to attack or hinder one's enemies) |
5-6 | Scrapper (strong melee damage, medium defenses) |
7-8 | Blaster (strong ranged damage but weak defenses) |
9-10 | Guardian (strong defenses but medium attacks) |
11 | Defender (buff allies, debuff enemies) |
12 | Healer |
Players then select from a range of supported 'Elements', which reflect the special effects of their power. Elements are stronger or weaker against other elements, i.e. a mutant with fire-based powers would be weaker against one with water-based powers, but their relative levels and strength with any given power will weigh more heavily, so a strong fire attack might be able to reduce a water shield to steam. Players may choose only one Element. Not all Elements are compatible with all Archetypes, i.e. many Elements don't offer obvious ways to heal others.
Roll 2d6 | Roll 1d6 | Result |
---|---|---|
2 | 1-3 | Light |
2 | 4-6 | Darkness |
3 | 1-3 | Nature (plant control or transformation) |
3 | 4-6 | Wildlife (beast control or transformation) |
4 | Ice | |
5 | Water | |
6-7 | Fire | |
8 | Earth | |
9 | Rock | |
10 | 1-4 | Air/Weather |
10 | 5-6 | Lightning |
11 | 1-2 | Metal |
11 | 3-4 | Machinery |
11 | 5-6 | Cybernetics/Computers |
12 | 1-2 | Gravity |
12 | 3-4 | Space |
12 | 4-6 | Time Control |
Note that all mutants have access to high-tech items and physical fitness/martial arts.
Powers
Players gain access to a set of powers based on their chosen archetypes and Element. Some powers will have prerequisites, i.e. before a player can select 'Fly', she must take 'Hover'. Powers may also have multiple levels, so 'Fly 1' could allow a player to move at running speed, but 'Fly 2' would boost their speed to 30mph, 'Fly 3' to 100mph, and so forth.
Note: telepathy, mind control, precognition, time travel, and many other 'gamebreaking' powers are not available in 'Mu Factor' to players.
Example powers:
- Scrapper
- Melee (single-target)
- Melee (cleave, hits up to 3 targets)
- Melee (player-based AOE)
- Cone (originates from player)
- Bomb (delayed damage or triggerable by player, must be placed by hand, does AOE damage)
- Blaster
- Ranged (single-target, requires line of sight)
- Ranged (chain, bounces from first target to a maximum of 5 targets total, requires line of sight to first target)
- Ranged (targeted AOE)
- Cone (originates from player)
- Bomb (launched at a fixed point, delayed damage or triggerable by player, does AOE damage)
- Guardian
- Armor (stops X amount of damage from every attack)
- Barrier (create shield which absorbs X total damage before shattering)
- Evasion (reduces opponent's chance to hit through deception or avoidance)
- Damage Aura (does X amount of damage persistently to enemies nearby, plus melee attackers take damage from successful hits against the guardian
- Controller
- Barrier (create free-standing wall which absorbs X total damage before shattering)
- Shape Environment (allows creating or destroying walls and surfaces i.e. a Nature controller could create or remove thick underbrush that would slow pursuit)
- (Remove) Entangle (attempt to wrap the target up in element which may slow or entirely immobilize them, or free the target if they are caught by the element)
- Sense Element (detect nearby concentrations of the element)
- Defender
- Empower (give stats buff to target, depending on elemental affinity)
- Weaken (reduces target's stats, depending on elemental affinity)
- Haste (speeds up the target)
- Slow (slows down the target)
- Grant Defense (elemental-based, may include armor, barrier, evasion, or damage aura)
- Amplify (channel power into boosting another mutant's ability, as long as they are compatible elements)
- Summoner
- Create pet (minion with set abilities)
- Control creature (any NPC with strong elemental affinity)
- Sense creature (any NPC with strong elemental affinity within range)
- Healer
- Direct heal (single target)
- Direct heal (player-based AOE)
- Heal over time (single target)
- Heal over time (player-based AOE)
- Clear debuffs
- Form-Related Powers
- Flight (wings)
- Superjump (powerful legs)
- Melee attack (fangs, claws, horns, tail spikes, etc.)
- Armor (scales, thick hide or fur, etc.)
- Elemental Affinity Powers
- Flight (affinity with air)
- Enhanced Speed (various)
- Teleportation (affinity with lightning or space)
- Superjump (various)
- Portal (various, requires presence of appropriate element)
- Portable Hole (affinity with Space)
Note that players are not prohibited from taking powers outside their archetypes, i.e. an Ice Guardian might find value in taking melee or ranged ice attacks. However archetype powers will be strongest for players having those archetypes-- the Guardian's attacks will always be weaker than the Scrapper or Blaster's.
A new player will have five abilities: at least one from Scrapper or Blaster, one from Guardian, one movement power, and two powers of any archetype the player finds useful.